Rottenness Prov.12:4 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

There are several things that will cause rottenness in the Bible.  Rottenness is caused by:

A Bad Wife – Prov 12:4 – don’t be bad wife and don’t choose a bad wife.  She makes her husband ashamed.  There is a greater problem here.  The church is the bride of Christ.  As long as the church was virtuous she was a crown to her husband.  But today, I’m afraid that the church is a wife that maketh ashamed.  Many who call themselves Christians are as rottenness in the bones of the Lord [Eph 5:30].

Envy – Prov 14:30 – when you envy others envy eats you from the inside out.  But there is a greater problem today.  The church is envious against sinners [Prov 23:17; Ps 73:3-22].  The church has adopted the world’s marketing strategies and fund raising gimmicks.  The church has adopted the world’s music.  The church has adopted the world’s dress.  The church has adopted the world’s disdain for God’s words.  All because of envy and it is rotting the church out from its very bones [we are the body of Christ].

Licentiousness – Is 5:20-24 – licentious means marked by the absence of legal or moral restraints: hostile or offensive to accepted standards of conduct; marked by neglect of or disregard for strict rules of correctness.  Israel threw out God’s law.  They were contrary.  They called evil good and good evil.  That’s where we are in society.  But there is a greater problem.  The church has done the same thing.  Churches preach and practice licentiousness.  They say, “Come as you are; do as you please; be whatever you want to be.  God loves you.”  And they have cast God’s law behind their back.  Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and where the law is there is liberty [2 Cor 3:17; Ps 119:44-45].  The Spirit is not at liberty where the words of God are abandoned.  He won’t violate the words of God; but many churches will.

The Lord – Hos 5:12-13 – Ephraim and Judah turned away from the Lord and so the Lord himself turned away from them.  He rotted them out.  Can you see the greater problem?  If the Lord turns against his people [and don’t think for a moment that he won’t, Rom 11:19-21; Rev 3:15-17], then this rottenness that is already apparent in the church will corrupt her completely.  This is what Paul called the “falling away first,” [2 Thes 2:3].

Prophecy – Hab 3:16 – Habakkuk saw what was coming and it ate on him.  You and I can see what’s coming and it has the same effect on us.  Thank God for the rapture.  However, how sad to see what was once such a vibrant church in a God-fearing country become what it has today.  The things of the Lord are so torn up in sin.  Things are not getting better; they are getting worse.

Conclusion: rottenness is a subtle kind of destruction because it works from the inside out.  You often don’t see it until the thing is shot completely through.  However, it is very evident in the church today.  Don’t let rottenness ruin you and don’t let it ruin your church.  Be virtuous in the bride of Christ, don’t envy sinners, don’t go the way of licentiousness, and don’t turn against the Lord.  Occupy till he comes.